China's Tianjin advances to FIVB Volleyball Women's Club World C'ship final

HANGZHOU, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- China's Tianjin Bohai Bank won 3-1 against Dentil Praia Clube of Brazil in the semifinals of the 2024 FIVB Volleyball Women's Club World Championship here on Saturday, becoming the first Chinese club to reach the tournament's final.

In the first set, China international spiker Li Yingying performed brilliantly, and Tianjin took the lead with a score of 25-23. In the second set, despite an early deficit, Tianjin effectively used blocking to quickly turn the tide and won the set 25-21. The third set saw Dentil Praia make a comeback and win 26-24. In the fourth set, amid the cheers of fans, Tianjin secured the win with a 25-22 victory.

"Everything went smoothly except for a tight third set, as everyone was very eager for victory," said Tianjin's acting head coach Chen Fang afterwards.

"Before the match, our goal was to finish in the top four, so once we reached the semifinals, we hoped to win," Chen added.

"We are thrilled to have made it to the final. For tomorrow's match, we'll approach it with a calm mindset, ready to learn from our opponents and give our best in tactics and spirit, enjoying every moment," said Li.

Tianjin will now play Imoco Volley Conegliano, who defeated fellow Italian side Milano 3-0 in the other semifinal. "I'm very happy to reach the final, no matter what happens tomorrow," said Conegliano's Chinese spiker Zhu Ting, who previously had a spell with Tianjin. ■